PPP, JUI-F approved emergency and PCO

There were indications that PPP meeting chaired by Bhutto in Karachi would come out with some kind of a hard-hitting strategy against the imposition of emergency, but what she said during her encounter with reporters reinforced the widely-held impression that she was on board.

Rather, she didn’t rule out the possibility of talks with Musharraf and said even after the imposition of emergency there was no option except to demand of the regime to hold elections and restore the Constitution.

Earlier too, Bhutto had backed Musharraf’s latest extreme measures and reiterated her eagerness for talks with him for power-sharing.

“Musharraf’s fresh steps would discourage extremists; I agree with the diagnosis of the ill of instability but disagree with the treatment,” The News quoted Bhutto, as saying.

Bhutto’s acquiescence to the president’s harsh measures has been the major reason behind the PPP’s inactivity and non-participation in any protest.

Before the imposition of the emergency, Bhutto had declared that her workers would be out on streets to agitate against any such eventuality.

She had stated that she had delayed her departure to Dubai by one day to “stop” clamping of emergency. In reality, at the time she had been taken into confidence by the government about Musharraf’s final decision.

Like the PPP and all other political parties, the JUI of Maulana Fazlur Rehman too has not organised even a single small or major protest anywhere in Pakistan.

The JUI spokesman, Maulana Amjad, admitted this but said being part of the Muttahidda Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) his party had not held any protest so far.

However, he said JUI activists had joined the protesting lawyers in different cities.

He said the JUI would carry out its protest from the MMA platform as and when decided by its Supreme Council, which meets in Islamabad to ponder over the post-emergency situation. (ANI)